Greetings on this first week of November we celebrate the Vigil of All Saints Day (called "Halloween"), All Saints Day itself, and All Souls Day.

Mass ScheduleTuesday November 1 All Saints Day: Holy Day of Obligation I will cover the 8:00 am Mass at St. Patrick in Mauston12:00 PM St. Paul in New Lisbon 6:00 PM St. James in Camp Douglas

Wednesday November 2, All Souls Day 8:30AM at St. Paul in New Lisbon12:00 PM at St. Paul in New Lisbon 6:30 PM at St. Michael in Indian Creek

What is Halloween?

Historically Halloween has Christian origins. It is the vigil of All Saints Day. "Saint" in old English was "hallow" meaning "holy." It was called "All Hallows Eve." It was a feast instituted by Pope Gregory III in the 730's AD. It also coincided with the Celtic festival of Samhain, but there is no evidence that the Pope was even aware of such a festival. Over time, as Christianity spread to England and Ireland, some customs from the Celtic festival were "christened," that is used to teach some facet of the faith. All Hallows Eve customs have grown and changed over time. Particularly in America with the arrival of Irish, Italian, and German immigrants.

The commercialization of Halloween is certainly a secular hi-jacking of a Christian holiday. Some have advocated celebrating "Harvest Festival" rather than Halloween. This, ironically, is more in line with the pagan festival. Let us reclaim Halloween for Christians, by returning to its roots in the Catholic Church by tying it explicitly to the Feast of All Saints.

What is a Saint?

The Catechism defines "saint" as: The "holy one" who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. The Church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones.

These are the men and women in heaven. Human beings to not become angels, those are a different order of creature. Human beings who, after passing from life, enter the joy of heaven are saints. Every human person in heaven is a saint, but not all saints are recognized, as such, by the Church, they have not been canonized. The feast of All Saints commemorates all those who are in heaven but may not be universally known. All saints show us that in this present life, we can live a life in "union with God through the grace of Jesus Christ."

What is all Souls Day?

All Souls Day is a solemn celebration in the Roman Catholic Church commemorating all of those who have died and are now in Purgatory, being cleansed of their venial sins and the temporal punishments for the mortal sins that they had confessed, and being made pure before entering into the presence of God in Heaven.

On All Souls Day, we not only remember the dead, but we apply our efforts, through prayer, almsgiving, and the Mass, to their release from Purgatory. There are two plenary indulgences attached to All Souls Day, one for visiting a church and another for visiting a cemetery. (The plenary indulgence for visiting a cemetery can also be obtained every day from November 1-8, and, as a partial indulgence, on any day of the year.)

Praying for the dead is a Christian obligation. In the modern world, when many have come to doubt the church's teaching on Purgatory, the need for such prayers has only increased. The Church devotes the month of November to All Souls, and participation in the Mass of All Souls Day is a good way to begin the month.

November 3 is the feast of St. Hubert, the patron saint of hunters. Good huntingHappy Halloween and All Saints Day and a blessed All Souls Day: Father Robert Letona

News from the USCCBNational Vocation Awareness Week Set For November 6-12 - WASHINGTON—The Catholic Church in the United States will celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, November 6-12. This annual event is a special time for parishes in the U.S. to foster a culture of vocations for the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life....Read More​

At the conclusion of the Easter season we celebrate in the Church the Ascension of our Lord, when Jesus returned to Heaven to be with His Heavenly Father.

The event is recorded in the book of Acts:

When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away.

While the apostles would have wanted Jesus to remain with them in physical form for the rest of their lives, He did not leave them to fend for themselves. Jesus knew that His disciples needed extra help in their mission of preaching and teaching and so He promised the Holy Spirit, or in other places called the Advocate.

These words of Jesus prepare the apostles for what would happen at Pentecost, when they would finally receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In the liturgy the Ascension of Jesus is celebrated with great joy and solemnity. This seems strange as one would think that Jesus leaving the apostles would be a time of mourning and loss. However, the angels who appeared to the apostles reminded them that this is only temporary and that Jesus will come again.

It is not like Good Friday, which commemorates a great tragedy, but instead focuses on the glory of Jesus' second coming and the promise of the Holy Spirit. The day also foreshadows our own promise of future glory, as the opening prayer at Mass prays:

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God,and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving,for the ascension of Christ your sonis our exaltation,and, where the head has gone before in glory,the Body is called to follow in hope.Through our lord Jesus Christ, your son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the holy spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The celebration reminds us that we too are not meant to remain on this earth, but are meant to be with Jesus in Heaven. We may be sad that Jesus did not remain on earth in physical form, but He only went to Heaven because He wants us to be with Him for all eternity.

To help us on our long and arduous road of life, Jesus gave us a Helper to assist us on our journey to Heaven. In our next article, we will look at who the Holy Spirit is and how He continues to help us and the Church draw closer to eternity.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,I know many of you may come to Mass hoping to have some respite from politics. But when we see our world, our country, and what we are reduced to as a society, we may very well ask “how did it come to this?” It didn’t happen overnight.

The following excerpts come from a talk Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia gave on Sept. 15, 2016.

“...the task of renewing a society is much more long term than a trip every few years to the voting booth. And it requires a different kind of people. It demands that we be different people.”

“The truth about our sexuality is that infidelity, promiscuity, sexual confusion and mass pornography create human wreckage. Multiply that wreckage by tens of millions of persons over five decades. What you get is what we have now: a dysfunctional culture of frustrated and wounded people increasingly incapable of permanent commitments, self sacrifice and sustained intimacy, and unwilling to face the reality of their own problems.”

“As families and religious faith break down, the power of the state grows. Government fills in the spaces left behind by mediating institutions.... Left to itself, democracy tends toward a kind of soft totalitarianism in which even a person’s most intimate concerns, from his sexual relations to his religious convictions, are swallowed by the political process.”

“We now live in a country where marriage, family and traditional religion all seem to be failing. And – inevitably — support for democracy itself has dropped. Fewer than 30% of U.S. millennials think that it’s vital to live in a nation ruled democratically.”

“...This didn’t happen overnight. And it didn’t happen by accident. We behaved ourselves into this mess by living a collection of lies.”

“Writing for the majority in Casey, Justice Anthony Kennedy claimed that ‘At the heart of liberty is the right to determine one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life.’ This is the perfect manifesto of a liberal democratic fantasy: the sovereign, self-creating self. But it’s a lie.

It’s the very opposite of real Christian freedom. And to the degree we excuse or cooperate with it, we make ourselves liars.”

“only the truth, makes us free. We’re fully human and free only when we live under the authority of the truth. And in that light, no issue has made us more dishonest and less free as believers and as a nation than abortion.

“People uncomfortable with the abortion issue argue, quite properly, that Catholic teaching is big- ger than just one issue. Other urgent issues also need our attention. Being pro-birth is not the same as being prolife. And being truly ‘prolife’ doesn’t end with defending the unborn child. But it does and it must begin there.”

“In every abortion, an innocent life always dies. This is why no equivalence can ever exist between the intentional killing involved in abortion, infanticide and euthanasia on the one hand, and issues like homelessness, the death penalty and anti-poverty policy on the other. Again, all of these is- sues are important. But trying to reason or imply them into having the same moral weight is a debasement of Christian thought.

“...the task of renewing the life of our nation requires a different kind of people. It demands that we be different people. The power of the powerless, Václav Havel once wrote, consists not in clever political strategies but in the simple daily discipline of living within the truth and refusing to lie.” END QUOTE

My dear friends, this living within the truth is called humility, and it is the lesson of this week’s readings. Our Gospel teaches us that humility is the recognition that no matter what our accomplish- ments, we still stand in need of the Lord. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14)

May the Lord hear our prayers, as we cry out to him, God bless you all,

News from the USCCB​USCCB President Says The Gospel Serves The Common Good, Not Political Agendas - WASHINGTON—At this important time in our nation's history, I encourage all of us to take a moment to reflect on one of the founding principles of our republic – the freedom of religion. It ensures the right of faith communities to preserve the integrity of their beliefs and proper self-governance. There have been recent reports that some may have sought to interfere in the internal life of the Church for short-term political gain. If true, this is troubling both for the well-being of faith communities and the good of our country....Read More

News from the Pope:Pope Francis canonizes seven new Saints - (Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday canonized seven new Saints including Argentina's “gaucho priest'' Jose Gabriel del Rosario Brochero. Know as “Cura Brochero”, the Argentinian who made it his mission to take the Gospel message of salvation to the peripheries, was proclaimed a Saint together with six others in a Mass in St. Peter's Square.''...Read More

While we seem to always remember to fast during Lent, few realize that the fasting we do is in preparation for the great feasting of Easter.

As Catholics, we know that our short lives on earth are a preparation for eternity and fasting is one way to prepare for our eternal home. However, in the process we forget that our ultimate hope of Heaven is not at all linked with fasting. In fact, it is the exact opposite; Heaven is referred to as the "Wedding Feast of the Lamb."

Now, feasting on earth does not mean gorging ourselves so much that we get sick. To feast as a Catholic means to enjoy the wonderful fruits of the earth with family and friends in a way that does not put the focus on food, but on the celebration.

Easter is a time to celebrate; it is a time to rejoice in the beauty and glory of the Resurrection. It is a time where we eagerly anticipate the joys of Heaven that Christ won for us on the cross.

That is why Lent is 40 days long and Easter is 50 days long! Our joys are meant to surpass our sufferings and sorrows!

We are an "Eater People" and feasting is an important aspect of Catholic life. It is not sinful to enjoy food and the Church has never been against eating delicious feasts.

So remember, fasting is always followed by a feast and reminds us of an important fact of life: the sufferings of this life are meant to be followed by the joys of Heaven.

Saint Paul​Our Mother Mary needs your help! We are down to 2 volunteers that come every Monday at St. Paul’s from 10:30 to 1:00 pm to make rosary’s that are sent all over the world. Supplies are on hand. Please find it in your heart to help out with how ever much time you can spare!

DIOCESAN ANNUAL APPEAL: St. Paul’s target amount for the 2016-17 year is $13,193.00. We can reach this goal if we all do our part. Checks are made payable to “Diocese of LaCrosse” or “Diocesan Annual Appeal”. Please return your pledge cards promptly to St. Paul’s by mail or in the collection basket. Any questions, call Rose Remington. Thank you and God Bless.

Saint MichaelThe Tomah Deanery Fall Gathering will be held at St. John the Baptist Church in Wilton on Thursday, Oct. 20 with the President’s meeting at 6:15 registration beginning at 6:30, and program starting at 7 pm. Our guest speaker will be Kay Schultz, She will be sharing her involvement with an organization called C.R.E.A. (Center for Reflection, Education and Action) C,R,E.A.’s mission is to offer opportunities to help those whose human rights have been violated or disregarded by helping them to earn a living. Kay’s focus is on the people of Guatemala. She will have many of their handmade fair trade products for sale, accepting cash or check for payment, withal proceeds going back to the people of Guatemala. We hope you will be joining us for a wonderful evening of sharing and fellowship.

“A Scrap Book History of St. Michaels”: Shirley Finucan is working on this wonderful project and is looking for your family data relating to their history with St. Michaels church. There will be a box at the back of the church for you to put your memories and pictures. (Dates of baptisms, confirmations, weddings, etc. are needed as well from 2005 on newer).

Saint JamesSt. James will be having a pot-luck get together after Mass on November 5th. Come and join us for some fellowship and good home cooking.​Diocese Annual Appeal: St. James target is $5,119.00 this year. Remember that any amount donated over this amount will be sent back to St. James to use as it is needed. Thank you to all for your generosity.

Please remember to donate to the Camp Douglas Food Pantry. There are several drop spots here in Camp Douglas.

"Hurricane Matthew, a powerful category 4 storm, made landfall. On Haiti early Tuesday, October 4, 2016. With as many as 900 killed and tens of thousands of homes destroyed in Haiti, the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew is becoming more clear as officials and aid workers are starting to reach remote areas.

Outside of immediate food, the greatest needs will be shelter, water and hygiene supplies. Along with partners, Catholic Relief Services is now responding in some of the most affected areasin southern Haiti. CRS will distribute blankets, kitchen and hygiene kits and other emergency supplies as needed, as well as monitor potential outbreaks of cholera and other diseases. CRS is distributing hygiene kits, including soap, buckets and toothbrushes, as well as kitchen utensils and blankets.

CRS is also responding in other areas of the Caribbean where families and homes have been destroyed, but the greatest focus is Haiti. CRS has made an initial Commitment of $5million to help in Haiti and other Countries devastated by Matthew.

In the first reading Moses and Joshua trusted in the Lord during a great battle. They understood what our Psalm proclaims: "Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Psalm 121). In the Gospel the Lord instructs us to "pray always without becoming weary." The Gospel ends with a question that should be like a splash of coldwater on our faces when we are drowsy, "when the Son of Man Comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). Let us "remain faithful to what we have learned and believed...," and let us "be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient" (2 tim3:14-4:2).​God bless you all,Father Robert Letona